Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[THE_WIZARD_]

Electric Light Orchestra?

[AlabamAlum]

Electric Light Orchestra?

Actually it’s not initials or an acronym. It’s the last name of a mad Hungarian who came up with a way to rate chess players (and players of other games). Arpad Elo. He studied physics at the University of Chicago and taught at Marquette. He was a decent player, never quite a GM, but very solid.

[Hannibal]

They're good at lining up mortars, artillery and tank tubes and lobbing tons of munitions into housing areas, hospitals, schools and targeting families trying to flee. Fuck them. They're not a laughing stock. This isn't funny at all - and I know you didn't mean it to be. Russian commanders, the ones ordering this shit are fucking animals and war criminals. They will not escape accountability. NATO should be making that perfectly clear and let the Russians know that a continuation of this barbarism will result in a strong military response. Give them 5d.

Something that I haven't heard being sent to Ukrainians are counter battery radars. These things scan a sector and a pair of them can locate where a tube that just fired is. Maybe the Ukrainians just don't have the numbers in artillery they need to mount a counter battery response to the shelling using that kind of targeting. I know the Germans and poles sent them Howitzers and who knows what else. Based on the tactical errors seen so far by Russian commanders, it would seem they aren't shooting and moving. That's how you defend v. counter battery radars and counter battery fires. The tubes are generally remaining static reminiscent of WWI and WWII battlefield artillery tactics. The Russians got results in Grozy and Aleppo using that approach. NATO cannot let that happen in UKraine.

Notice that the Russians instead of trying to take Kharkiv and Kiev and are having trouble holding well defended cities in the east/south due to organized civil and military resistance, what they are doing is encircling small cites, poorly defended and shelling the shit out of them. Fewer Stingers and Strellas there means they can fly both fixed wing and attack helos into those areas without the unsustainable losses they have been suffering to their air power. Those things can do a ton of damage and produce all kinds of panic and terror - obviously their goal since they can't humble the Ukrainian defense forces. There was a BBC video of Ukrainian ordnance techs defusing a 2000lb bomb probably delivered by fixed wing ground attack. They aren't Syrian barrel bombs - you'll remember those - they are way more destructive. One of those can flatten a city block and that's happening. There's no justifiable military purpose for those weapons being delivered in civilian areas. Just barbaric.

I think the NATO strategy is hoping the Ukrainians can create battlefield equilibrium using asymmetric tactics - I've called that small unit operations with decentralized command and control. It' been effective and could force Putin to rethink his options The view seems to be that NATO wants to wait until sanctions bite and Putin loses support at home and ends up fighting two battels. It's said that the Russian commanders will adapt and we're seeing that. The wider spread the battle space is, the harder it will be for the Ukrainians to hold serve. They're holding serve now but for how long? That's one of the reasons, aside from the moral imperative to stop the horrific barbarism and war crimes being perpetrated by Russian commanders, I favor launching a NATO combined arms counter offensive NOW. If we're worried about chemical or biologic warfare, take the capability out now - it's doable covertly and overtly. Think back to Obama drawing a red line stating that if in Syria, the US would respond. Our response was to show ghastly photos of 100s of dead Syrians and whine about it. There was undoubtedly planning for that. Dust of those plans off and be prepared to execute them. Russia was behind all of that terror tactic in and around Aleppo Syria and learned the US is afraid of this kind of posturing and damned if we're not seeing it on the chemical level as well as the nuclear one in this war.

I get where you are coming from, but shelling civilians during a hit conflict has historically not been prosecuted as a war crime. Once the invasion starts, large amounts of civilian casualties are an absolute certainty. This is especially true in a case like this, where the entire civilian population has been armed. Both sides in WW2 killed massive amounts of civilians in what was ultimately terror bombing. We have killed a lot of civilians in our wars since then — albeit unintentionally most of the time.

Commanders who refuse to follow an autocrat’s orders risk imprisonment or losing their lives. It’s not realistic to expect them to make that choice. The real crime here is the invasion itself. That’s why I’m pretty much on board with what Lindsey Graham said — is there anyone who would deny that the best possible outcome for the world as a whole would be for Putin to be overthrown or replaced?

Also — you guys calling for NATO to escalate this conflict are insane. Putin can and would retaliate in a way that could cause massive amounts of human suffering. It sucks for the people living there but we can’t rescue the Ukraine. But those people can make the conquering and occupation of their country cost prohibitive. It looks like they are doing just that. Good for them.

[iam416]

lol. Chess.com let me back in. What’s your ELO?

On Chess.com I'm only 1310 for daily games, but that's because I play most of my games on ChessTime -- slowly up to 1600! My puzzle -- PUZZLE!!!! -- rating on Chess.com is up to 2250! WooooOOOT!

I've played a lot against lesser players and some against more evenly matched. I spend a fair amount of my work day watching decent YT chess channels (when I'm not upbraiding DSL over here). I think I'm more theoretically sound. Well, I could hardly be worse. So, I'm slowly getting there. Moves that "seem" right to me are now, at least occasionally, actually right. And I actually run my games through an engine when I'm done to see how badly I fucked up. I've actually made it through a few games with zero blunders!

That said, my most optimistic goal against you is a slow death arch to endgame obliteration.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Actually it’s not initials or an acronym. It’s the last name of a mad Hungarian who came up with a way to rate chess players (and players of other games). Arpad Elo. He studied physics at the University of Chicago and taught at Marquette. He was a decent player, never quite a GM, but very solid.

Explanation not necessary ya twatwaffle.

[iam416]

My rapid rating on Chess is a paltry 1150, but I haven't played a rapid game in a few years. I should probably get back to do that.

::::more Chess talk!!!!::::

What was that? No problem, Wiz. Happy to indulge...so, ummmm, about Magnus' newfound love of the Catalan...

[THE_WIZARD_]

On Chess.com I'm only 1310 for daily games, but that's because I play most of my games on ChessTime -- slowly up to 1600! My puzzle -- PUZZLE!!!! -- rating on Chess.com is up to 2250! WooooOOOT!

I've played a lot against lesser players and some against more evenly matched. I spend a fair amount of my work day watching decent YT chess channels (when I'm not upbraiding DSL over here). I think I'm more theoretically sound. Well, I could hardly be worse. So, I'm slowly getting there. Moves that "seem" right to me are now, at least occasionally, actually right. And I actually run my games through an engine when I'm done to see how badly I fucked up. I've actually made it through a few games with zero blunders!

That said, my most optimistic goal against you is a slow death arch to endgame obliteration.

Talent's greatest gift is his sandbagging...even regarding chess now...

[iam416]

I wish I was sandbagging. Unfortunately, chess is the one field where AlabamAlum's mind functions at a level beyond pre-school proficiency.

I will say I'm really fucking up some 1600 rated Slovenian w/ a devastating kingside attack. Fucking Slovenian fucks.

[THE_WIZARD_]

sandbaggus BobbyFisherus

[AlabamAlum]

Talent,

If you’re making it through the opening with equal material and a reasonable position most of the time against similarly skilled players, it’s time to focus on endgames. Know how to force mate with a N and B vs a lone K. Know rook and pawn endgames. Understanding zugwang and how to work that into endgame strategy is as important as zwischenzug is in tight, locked middle games. Know that a material advantage in the endgame is simply a proof for the absolute power of attrition

[iam416]

I'm not aware of what those made up words mean, but I have come to appreciate that if I have a strong position or one I like and my opponent has no real good move, I'm happy playing to force him to weaken his position. Whatever the fuck the Scots call that shit.

I don't know N/B endgame. Haven't had occasion to learn it. I'm working on Rook/pawn.

I'm playing a game now where I'm up two pawns and one is a passed A-pawn, so I've traded down a lot of material and should be able to strangle the life out of this game.

But, yeah, endgames are where I need to be better.

[AlabamAlum]

And Fischer’s “60 Memorable”, Kotov’s “Think Like a Grandmaster,” a new copy of MCO, and Silman’s “Complete Endgame Course” are the 4 books that every chessplayer should own. Every Single. One. There are other great books, but those 4 are essential, imo.

[iam416]

Anyway, I'll start playing more dailys on Chess and more 30m Rapids and once I get up to 2200, I'm going to kick the ever-living shit out of your Kirby Smart-lovin' ass!

[AlabamAlum]

The thing about learning how to mate with a N and B vs a lone K is synergistic. The concepts you learn in that relatively easy lesson help teach spatial relationships and mating nets.

[iam416]

My copy of MCO is 20 years old. Nothing has really happened in the interim. Heh.